European Diary

The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur in Europe
July 26 - Brussels to Paris

Today was a travel day - a 4-hour drive from Brussels to Paris with a stop in Chantilly to tour the chateau (well worth the effort if you are ever in the area.)

Lunch was at a sidewalk café in town and was very pleasant, not only for the well-prepared, reasonably-priced food, but for the small touches noticed that helped make the meal interesting. I noticed that the menu was prominently displayed right on the street, making it easy for people to see what was offered (most people who walked by stopped and took a look.) How easy do you make it for people to see what you have to offer before they come in?

The salad contained small cubes of gruyere and ham, lots of sliced, sauteed mushrooms and butter lettuce with a creamy dressing - different. Perhaps this is something your chef could play around with.

I also noticed that they brought a fish fork and fish knife to accompany my main dish. This may be wasted on most diners, and it certainly wasn't necessary to eat the item, but it showed a degree of awareness and caring that I found reassuring. Is there an opportunity for you to use specialized serviceware to make a point with your guests.

For photos of the café and a view of the town, click here.

By the time we got to our apartment in Paris, we were whipped . . . and most of the city shuts down on Sunday evening anyway . . . so dinner was a couple of croissants and a bottle of water. Tomorrow we get into the city proper.

For a photo of the Paris apartment, click here.

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